DMV Facial Recognition Software Leads to Arrest of Pine Bush Man

The DMV's "state of the art" facial recognition software detected the fraudulent transactions, leading to the man's arrest.

On Wednesday, Sullivan County Sheriff's Deputies stationed at the Government Center in Monticello, were called to the Motor Vehicles Office. Deputies were told by a DMV Investigator, that a customer, who was present in the office, had attempted to file for a restricted driver's license due to an insurance lapse.

When the transaction was ran, the subject, Amiel Maerling, 52, of Pine Bush, was flagged in the DMV computer. An investigation revealed that Maerling had applied for several non-driver ID's under different names and dates of birth.

Maerling was charged with Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Falsifying Business Records, both Felonies. He was remanded to Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail pending a future court appearance.

The fraudulent transactions had been detected by the DMV's "state of the art" facial recognition software.

The facial recognition system, which was implemented in 2010, scans each photograph taken for a driver's license or non-driver ID. The photographs are then compared against the existing database to see if any other records exist.

The system is intended to combat identity theft, fraud, and remove high-risk drivers from the road. To date, the program has resulted in 3,800 arrest statewide.